BMJ Collective with Dom Pipkin

BMJ Collective with Dom Pipkin – Live at Black Mountain Jazz

📍 Melville Centre, Abergavenny
📅 Sunday 8th June 2025

Another brilliant evening at Black Mountain Jazz, and what a joy it was to photograph it!

This month’s BMJ Collective gig featured a special guest – the incredible Dom Pipkin, a master of New Orleans-style piano playing, known for his dynamic live performances and infectious energy.

The BMJ Collective – Jack Mac, Nick Kacal, and Ryan Thrupp – are more than just a jazz trio. They are the driving force behind BMJ’s youth programme, Jazz Katz, where they lead monthly workshops for young musicians. These monthly gigs, which follow the youth sessions, are a key part of the Black Mountain Jazz calendar. Each performance features a guest artist, keeping things fresh, exciting, and unpredictable – just like jazz should be.

The energy on stage was electric. Dom Pipkin brought fire to the keys, while the Collective’s tight, responsive playing created space for creativity and fun. As The JazzMann review put it:

"The rapport between Pipkin and the members of the Collective was obvious, the pianist clearly enjoying the interaction with a group of similarly adventurous young musicians. There was a genuine sense of fun and of shared enjoyment..."

Photographing jazz is always a dance of its own – musicians move constantly, the light is ever-changing, and each performance is entirely unique. But that’s exactly why I love it. Capturing the connection between players, the expressions, the rhythms, the quiet moments and the bursts of energy – it’s a challenge and a privilege.

💻 You can view the full gallery from the night here:
👉 https://portfolio.adobe.com/25c92558-c06d-46e3-88ec-09c3cd49cb29/preview/bmj-collective-with-dom-pipkin-june-2025[Insert gallery link]

Big thanks to Black Mountain Jazz for keeping live music alive and giving both established and emerging talent a stage in Abergavenny.